10 August,2016 01:15 PM IST | | Sonali Joshi Pitale
Makers of a long-stuck Shreyas Talpade-starrer sued after promotions surrounding the Taj Mahal go wrong
After censor woes, the makers of a long-completed film, Wah Taj, have waded into fresh trouble with a group of Agra residents baying for their blood. Controversy erupted after the marketing team of the Shreyas Talpade and Manjari Phadnis-starrer decided to paste promotional posters across the tourist city, declaring that the Taj Mahal will be shut from September 23, coinciding with the film's release. Irate locals have sent a legal notice for "maligning" the monument.
A still from the film
The film's director, Ajit Singh, said, "It [the poster] was my idea. There's a scene where Shreyas claims that the Taj Mahal belongs to his forefathers; the court rules in his favour and asks authorities to keep the monument out of bounds for tourists. So, we decided to put up those pamphlets.
The poster that was put up
We hadn't imagined it would upset locals. I am now consulting with my legal team to decide on our next course of action." The film had earlier run into censor trouble as the hero is shown as Hindu whereas the Taj Mahal had been built by Muslim king, Shah Jahan. "The film was stuck for six months, and they asked me to approach the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal, which eventually cleared it," adds the director.
